Sighting apparatus for moving vehicles.



No. 854,310. A I ATENTBD MAY 21, 1907'. A

W. H. ROBERTSON.

ZSHEETS-SHBET 1.

No. 854,310. PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

W. H. ROBERTSON.

1 SIGHTING APPARATUS FOR MOVING VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNIT D. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. ROBERTSON, on ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SIGHTIING APPARATUS FOR MOVING V EHIGLES Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed August 23, 1906. Serial No- 331,773-

To 'aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. ROBERT- N', a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a new and useful Sighting Apparatus for Moving Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sighting apparatus for movingvehicles, and more particularly for vehicles which it is desired to move along straight lines, such, for instance, as planters, plows, and other agricultural implements. It is also well adapted for use in connection with any kind of vehicle for running straight lines for fences or other purposes.

The object of the invention is to produce a sighting apparatus for'use in connection with an kind of vehicle, whereby an operator be enabled to keep sight of two objects between which the vehicle is to be propelled in a straight-line, so that any deflection from the desired course will beinstantly detected.

Through a single eye-piece or lens the object of destination and the receding object are visible, so that no difficulty will be encounobjects.

. a -wheeled vehicle illustrating my invention .tered in detecting variation from. .therequired .course.- Automatic means are em-.

loyed to maintain the entire ap aratus in fbcus both upon the nearing'an receding The entire apparatus is pivotally supported so that it Wi I maintain its pro or ad ustment both upon level and ot er ground."

There are other objects and advantages and uses to which theinvention may be applied, which will become. apparent to those skilled in the'art to which the invention pertains from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which I Figure 1 is a sectional view of aportion of in combination therewith. Fig. 2 is a sec- ,tional view of the sighting devices showing the means for viewing the front and rear objects. device. Fig. 4 is a rear side view of the p- Fig. '5

Fig. 3 illustrates the cross-wire ar tus detached from the. vehicle.

1s a vertical sectional view along the line a--a of Fig. 1.. Figs. 6 -& 7 illustrate the connection of the automatic focusing devices. Fig.

counterweight or balance 7 in order to susand both being supported by a central box 8 is a view illustrating, conventionally, the device as applied to an agricultural machine. 1 denotes the traction wheels of a vehicle, 2 indicates the axles, and 3 identifies a frame sustained by the axles. Two frames 4 are maintained rigidly between the sides of the frame 3. and hang downward. 'A shaft 5 is supported by said frames 4, and rigid there- Wit is a post or standard 6 arranged preferably in front of the position of the operator which, in all cases perhaps, is the most convenient position. The shaft' 5 carries a tain the osts in vertical position which is essential far best results and most convenient use. Other counter weights or balances 8 are also supported by said frames 4, trunnions 9 having bearings in said frames. Links 10 pivotally connect the ends of the several counter Weights or balances so that they all act to sustain the post or standard 6' in vertical position whether the vehicle be passing over level or other ground. It isv necessary so to maintain the said post or standard in order that it may be in line with the guidmg objects. 7 f

The up er end of the post .or standard is bifurcated the two arms being indicated by 11. Bearings are formed neartheupper extremities-of said arms 11. The sighting instruments are sustained between the arms 11,

said instruments comprising a forwardly extending telescopic instrument 12, and an alined rearwardly extending instrument 13,

each consisting'of tubular sections telescoping together in the well understood manner structure'14, within which are two reflectors 15 and 1 6 for the front and rear instruments, respectively. A third reflector 17 receives the reflection of the guiding objects gathered in this manner, an casts the reflection of such objects into the eyepiece 18; A crosswire devlce 18 of knowfironstruction and functions. in-surveyors -instruments and servinglike functions here is located within the eye piece 18. All this mechanism is supported between the arms 11. Theboxstructure 14 is provided witha tubular bearing. 19 within which project thehubs of two disks 20, one of which is ateach side of" the part 14. The ends of the hubsmeet so that the disks 20 will not bind the part 14, nor interfere with its swinging motion. The two disks 20 are held firmly between a gear pinion 21 and a body 22 of equal size acting as a counter weight, each of which has an axial projection 23 projecting into the bearings at the upper extremities of the arms 11. The parts '20, 21 and 22 are all held firmly clamped together by a screw-pin 24 which extends into a central hole in said parts and operates screwwise into the hole in the part 21 which is threaded. A head 25 adapted for mangal in engagement is on the end of the screw- 24, so that by turning the screw-pin the parts may be released or clamped together.

So far the mechanism is complete. As one object comes nearer .and the other recedes, however, constant focusing of the two telescopic mstruments is required. Upon the axle 2 a worm thread 26 is formed. A flexible tube 27 is held in a bearing 28 on the frame 3 and in similar bearings 29 on the part 14. Flexibility of this tube is required on account of the oscillation of the post or standard 6. A spring 30 is arranged in a well understood manner within the tube 27 and carries a gear 31 on its lower end in mesh with the worm 26, and to the upper end of said spring a worm 32 is secured, and held in mesh with the pinion 21. From the foregoing it. is obvious that, when the vehicle or machine is in motion, the pinion 21 will be rotated through its connections with the vehicle axle. Moreover, inasmuch as the pinion 21 is clamped firmly said pinion will rotate the disks 20. Oppositely winding involute grooves 33 are formed on the sides of the disks 20and from the lens portion of each ofthe telescopic parts 12 and 13 a projection 34 and 35, respectively, extends, one of said projections extending into one groove and one into the other (see Figs. 6 and 7). From this adjustment it follows that, while the machine travels, one lens will be drawn toward its reflector and the other will be moved away from its reflector, and the groovesand gearing are constructed so that this movement will be only as required to maintain the necessary focus. However, should the two lenses become relatively out of adjustment or focus they maybe properly readjusted and focused after releasing the clamp screw-pin 24.

In using this apparatus two guiding objects are needed, though in some cases-only a destination object isrequiredl Where two objects are used the machine is properly positioned between them and the two objects are brought within the focus of the telescopic instruments. The machine is then set in motion toward the destination object and,

by closely observing both guiding objects through the telescoplc Instruments, any va-' and scope of my invention.

cross wire 18' when the said variation occurs.

The telescopic instruments are'automatically adjusted as the machine or vehicle travels, and the use of such instruments enables the operator to discern small guiding objects at great distance. The machine w ll be found especially useful for making rows or furrows for planting, running lines for fences, and for surveying purposes.

am aware that there may be variations in construction and arrangement of the parts without in the least departing from the spirit I do not, therefore, restrict myself to inessential or unnecessary details of construction or arrangement,

but

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination with a'movable vehicle, of a sighting device, and automatic means for focusing the same during movement of the vehicle, substantially as specified.

2. The combination'with a movable vehicle, of two op ositely disposed lenses, a sinle eye-piece or said lenses, and means for ocusing said lenses, substantially as specified. v 3. The combinationwith a movable vehicle, of a telescopic instrument, and automat1c means for maintaining .the same 111 focus upon a stationary object during movement of the vehicle, substantially as spec1- fied.

4. The combination with a movable vehicle, of two telescopic instruments, and automatlc means for mamtaimng the same focused upon separate objects relative to which the vehicle moves during movement of the vehicle, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a movable vehicle, of an optical instrument comprising two telescopic tubes having lenses therein, and a single eye-piece for said. tubes.

6. The combination with a movable vehi cle, of an optical instrument comprising two telescopic tubes,.a reflector for each tube, a third reflector to receive reflections from both of said first-named reflectors, andan eye-piece through which the said third regegtor may be viewed, substantially as speci- 7. The combination with a movable vehicle, of an optical instrument comprising two separate tubes, a lens in each tube, means for focusing said lenses, a reflector for each tube, a third reflector to receive reflections from Both of said firstnamed reflectorsfan eye-piece through which the third reflector ma be viewed,-an'd a cross Wire device in sai eye-piece, substantially as specified.

. 8. The combination with a movable vehi In testimony whereof I hereto affix my 'cle, of an optical instrument comprising two signature to this specification this 18th day 10 telescopic tubes'havin a lens in each tube, of August, 1906, in the presence of two sub single eye piece for sald tubes, a horizontal scribing Witnesses. 5 axis on which said instrument maybemoved, WILLIAM H. ROBERTSON. 's V, V 7

and meansfor keeping the said axis in ahori- Witnesses: zontal position during the varying positions F. J, MoCAsLIN,

of the vehicle, substantially as specified. J. D. RIPPEY. 

